DA's Helen Zille Sparks Mixed Reactions With Claim That Poor People in Langa Are In a Better Position
- Former Democratic Alliance leader Helen Zille sent social media into a frenzy after making a few controversial comments
- The DA's federal council chairperson suggested that people living in poverty in the Western Cape are better off than poor people in other provinces
- Some South Africans did not take too kindly to Zille's words; however, others seemed to agree and could not fault her statement
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CAPE TOWN - Helen Zille, the Democratic Alliance Federal Council Chairperson, is no stranger to extracting negative reactions from South Africans with her controversial comments. Her latest comments have garnered mixed reactions on social media.
The former DA leader recently made the claim that being poor in Western Cape townships is significantly better than being poor in any other township in South Africa.
Source: Getty Images
Zille made her comments in a radio interview on 702 and spoke about the role NGOs play in SA, especially in the wake of the KwaZulu-Natal floods. She stated that Mzansi is actually a failing state and citizens have yet to realise this.
Zille went on to say that South Africans have turned to NGOs for relief because they do not trust that Government will help them. She added that South Africans in the Western Cape have different experiences than the rest of the country because the province is led by the DA.
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That's when she made the claim that being a poor person living in a shack in Langa is better than living in a township anywhere else in SA. Zille explained that people poor people in the townships have access to water and electricity, unlike in other provinces, reports TimesLIVE.
"Life is much better for the poor in the Western Cape than it is in the rest of the country because access to services work,” said Zille.
South Africans upset at Helen Zille's comments
@JosephKgangyame said:
"Not sure how levels of poverty differ in SA provinces. SA politicians like the expression, the 'poorest of the poor'. Maybe there are levels of poverty. Maybe there are not. Levels of poverty differ in different economies. Anyway, politicians love poverty. It feeds them content."
@Disguys99 said:
"Next thing post-1994 racism is better than prior 1994 one, keep them coming gogo moloi."
@Jason_John2 said:
"Utter disregard for non-whites, especially the poor. You can easily see why DA will never amass any real power."
Some people agreed with Helen Zille's comments
@Kawasaki__900 said:
"@helenzille is probably right, but the unintended consequence of being right in this context is that you piss off the #VivaANCs. And you give their white hate traction. You must remember ANC is #not about making SA prosperous, it's about #redistribute."
@NColesky said:
"But was she wrong? And in the context of South African corruption and general misadventures by ANC councillors and MPs etc, is this even a story?"
"Rude and arrogant thing to say": DA's Helen Zille called out for having a problem with someone's pronouns
Briefly News previously reported that Helen Zille, the chairperson of the Democratic Alliance's federal council, has been chastised for a tweet condemning a social media user for using her pronouns on her profile.
Social media user who goes by the name Alexandra Hayes posted a picture of herself and captioned the picture by detailing how she overcome some challenges to get to where she is today.
Hayes wrote:
"Final piece of the puzzle. After a mental breakdown and losing everything, I have a place to live, a steady job, debts paid and I have a bank card. I am happy and healthy and grateful to be alive and independent again."
Source: Briefly News
